Mars Global Surveyor mission

The Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Spacecraft was successfully launched on November 7, 1996 to the planet Mars for an extended study of the planet's surface, atmosphere, gravitational field and magnetic field. In order to achieve the scientific objectives of the mission, the spacecraft will be inserted into a low-altitude, near-polar, sun-synchronous orbit. Data will be collected and returned from six prime experiments on the spacecraft for over one Martian year (687 Earth days) and will provide for a better understanding of the geology, geophysics, and climatology of Mars.